Lives in the Yiddish
TheatreSHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN
THE yIDDISH THEATRE
aS DESCRIBED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"1931-1967

L. Mates
(Mates Lunyansky)

Mates was
born in
February
1897, in
Bialystok,
Poland. Till
the age of
fourteen, he
studied in
various
cheders. At
the same
time, he
also studied
in a
Russian-Yiddish
primary
school. Following
that he
apprenticed
as a
compositor.

In 1913, he
arrived in
America. He
worked in
Chicago in a
cigar
factory and
in the
evenings he
continued
with his
studies.

In 1916, he
became ill
with
consumption
and was
placed in a
sanatorium.

From 1918,
he lived in
Denver
Colorado
under the
care of Dr.
Chaim
Spivack. After
that he
arranged to
become the
librarian in
a Colorado
Sanatorium.

In 1918 he
made his
debut in the
Chicago
“World” (Velt).
He was
frequently
published in
various
periodicals
and produced
a number of
books.

Mates
published
some one-act
plays, in
the “Fraye
arbeter shtime”
(The Free
Workers
Voice). In
a different
publication
he published
his drama “A yidishe
tragedie”
(A Jewish
Tragedy).
According to
Jacob Mestel
this was
based upon
events from
the authors
own life.

On November
2, 1929
Mates died
in a a
sanatorium
for
consumptives
in Los
Angeles.